Alopecia Areata

The condition known as alopecia areata can cause you to lose hair at different parts of your body but it is most noticeable on the scalp. During the first stages of alopecia areata you usually lose hair in spots of the scalp. It can progress from spotted hair loss to total hair loss of the scalp and is referred to as alopecia totalis in its advanced stages.

Triggers

This condition can happen suddenly because it involves a person’s own immune cells that for some reason decide to fight their hair growing tissue. Experts believe a virus is responsible for triggering this condition.

Fear

It certainly is not unusual for people to stress over the loss of hair, especially when it is occurring over different parts of the body. This simply does not fit the pattern that most people are use too seeing. Keep in mind this is a temporary condition and most people re-grow the hair they lost.

Stages

There are three identifiable stages of this form of alopecia. During the first stage you would lose your hair suddenly but in a more patchy fashion. During the second stage the patchy areas start to enlarge with increased hair loss. The third stage is good news: your hair starts to grow back. How soon the third stage takes place will vary with people. It can take between weeks to several years to grow back all your hair. In rare cases, some people never grow their hair back.

Causes

Scientists have no evidence to support the common belief that medication and a poor diet are the causes for alopecia areata. The truth is scientists don’t know what conditions have to be present to cause a patient’s immune cells to turn on the body and cause this condition to develop. They do know that you inherit the predisposition to develop alopecia areata and that a virus can trigger it. Alopeica areata is not contagious.

Treatments

Cortisone shots can help stimulate growth of hair in patients suffering from alopecia areata, but they can be painful. For each patch of hair loss you would receive up to 30 shots per month. Multiple patches would require multiple rounds of cortisone shots. The most important treatment is patience. Give it enough time and your hair will return. Most people just wait for it to return.

Cortisone treatments are not guaranteed by doctors as it depends on the individual and the body’s response to the medication. Prescription cortisone cream may also be a good solution for treating alopecia areata and without the pain.